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Saturday, March 30, 2013

Yes, the event that let's you get great information and network is returning Friday, Jun 14 to the St John the Evangelist Parish Center. The same location where the Hopkinton Networking Group meets is a great location for this type of event.

What will it be like?
Dig into the archives here to see prior schedules and recaps of what happened in 2010 and 2011.

If you are interested in speaking at this event, contact Gil Krispien or Steve Sherlock

If you are interested in participating in this event, mark the date on your calendar and stay tuned here for additional information. You can subscribe to this page to get a daily update if and when something is published here. Subscribe here

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Now that we are in the winter months, if the Hopkinton schools are cancelled on the day of our meeting then we do not meet; however, if there is a delay, then we do meet. Even if the schools are not closed, if the weather is bad, it is best to stay home then risk an accident.

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by a speaker, Mick Verran. The facilitator for this week will be Vincent Rocheleau. We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Please arrive early, so we can make every effort to start on time. In the second hour, Mick will talk about "How to Identify and Address What the Hiring Manager is REALLY Looking for."

To get the most benefit from this session;Please bring along;* A job advertisement you’re interested in, to dissect during our session, and* A couple of copies of your résumé, to see how you do in the 6 Second Résumé Test.

"How to Identify and Address What the Hiring Manager is REALLY Looking for."

Overview

Although the position you’re interested in may look like many others, the hiring manager will have a unique picture of the ideal candidate in mind. In this session, we’ll review practical tips on how to:

* Pick out the key requirements of a particular position

* Identify how the hiring manager will differentiate between candidates

* Understand what each person involved in the recruitment process is looking for, and

* Present our candidacy in a way that makes us stand out from the crowd.

Topics

* What HR is telling the hiring manager

* What Monster.com is telling the recruiter

* Uncovering the hiring manager's tie-breaker

* Deciding which 'you' to bring to THIS table

* Passing the 6 Second Resume Test

* Acing each step in the recruitment process

* Getting everyone involved on your side

About Mick Verran

At Digital Equipment Corporation and Avery Dennison, and as a consultant in many industries, he helped leaders improve their organizations and their personal effectiveness, management and leadership skills. He aligns organizations; improves talent management processes; coaches executives; and runs leadership development programs.Of particular relevance to this session, he has considerable experience …• Identifying the skills, knowledge and experience required for success in a particular job,• Teaching managers how to assess candidates, and• Evaluating the ‘fit’ of individual executives with specific jobs and organizations.And then there’s what he is learning from his own job search!

You can check out his résumé at www.MickVerran.com, from where you’ll also be able to download Friday’s handout – he will give you the password at the session.

• •

Recap of HNG Meeting of March 1, 2013:

Our 95th meeting of HNG had 45 people, this is 20 more than the previous meeting and three signed the New Member list. Diane Elhilow was our facilitator. There were no introduction speeches to allow more time for the panel discussion.

We had a panel of diverse recruiters whose topic was "How Working with Agencies/Recruiters Can Help you Find a Job." They represented the following companies:

March 15, 2013 Mick Verran "How to Identify and Address What the Hiring Manager is REALLY Looking for."

General Information:

The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 10 to 12 noon, and will meet the first and third Friday of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:* Welcome* Landings (with doughnuts)* Announcements* New member introductions* Needs and Leads* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:* Name* Skills and Value Statement* Where have you been?* Where are you going?* Your title* Your target companies* Geography of search* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

Directions:Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.

Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest for a more direct route. The address of the church is:St. John the Evangelist20 Church StreetHopkinton, MA 01748

Good Monday morning, Stephen,
I've been writing this newsletter for almost ten years now, and I'm asked for career advice all the time. I love when some little bit of advice really resonates for someone and makes a difference in their search -- and I love it when you reach out to let me know!
The consistently best bit of advice I've ever given, that has come back to me over, and over, and over again, is this:
When it gets to that part of the interview with your future boss where they ask, "well, do you have any questions for me?", say yes, and ask:

"How do I help you get a gold star on your review next year?"

This bit of advice has helped more people in more interviews than any other bit of advice I've shared over the years.

Why?

Well, the interview process lends itself to self-absorption. We spend so much of the time talking about ourselves that we forget that we sound like one of those people who only talks about themselves.

Or conversely, we become "job analysis engineers" and ask all sorts of questions about the job and reporting structure and how it fits in with the company's five-year plan and so on. I love getting questions from candidates in interviews, but I do have to admit I feel that they're not quite getting the point of a "face-to-face" interview when they pull out six pages of typed, single-spaced questions and promptly bury their nose in their papers without making eye contact.

We get so obsessed with the details of the job that we forget about the work.

Working together and being a good addition to the team mean being concerned with how you are making the team successful. And that means being concerned with how much you are helping to make your boss successful.

Asking this question shows that you have empathy. It shows that you have an interest in your boss' career and future success. It shows that you are not just a self-absorbed "what's-in-it-for-me" kind of person. And it shows that you know you are there to "give" as much as you are there to "get".

Subscribers like you say the interviewer's face lights up when you ask this question. I have heard time and time and time again from our six million subscribers how effective it's been in interviews.
The gold star question is an easy tip to implement in your job search: it's easy to do, easy to understand, and it's easy to measure.

And that makes it my best bit of career advice ever.

So thank you, Dear Readers, for trying out all my advice over the years, and for making this one my best.
I'm rooting for you!
Marc Cenedella, Founder Follow me on Google Circles: Marc Cenedella
P.S. And I'd like to thank my wife's law school classmate, Erin Abrams, now at Citigroup, for reminding me that the "silver star" question is just as important -- if you're interviewing people who will report to you, or any future colleagues who are a rank below you, ask them, too, how you can help them succeed next year on their review. Believe me, they will be very grateful.

You're receiving this email from our secure server at TheLadders.com because you signed up on 2009-06-10 from .

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Compass Lite is a free web app that asks users to choose between “Me?” or “Not Me?” by way of a visual slider that presents a set of character traits and/or tasks. This winnowing down leads users to an interactive display of career opportunities that match the user’s personality, organized by education level. Detailed information about careers, salary ranges, career outlook, and academic programs are offered as well.

This is a far cry from searching through lists of majors and careers, or making career decisions based on projected salary. It’s easy to lose track of time choosing between “Me?” or “Not Me?” and before you know it, you’re presented with an interactive dashboard tailored to your answers – with actionable recommendations.

As an experiment of one, I tried the survey answering me or not me for each photo. Quick and easy, it seemed to peg me pretty well.

How does this work for you?

Note: it seems to require a login via your Facebook account. I didn't find a way other than that. It does let you select how you'll broadcast the updates (and for the trial I selected "only me").

REVISED NUMBERS SHOW MASSACHUSETTS CREATED 32,100 MORE JOBS IN 2011 AND 2012 THAN PREVIOUSLY ESTIMATED

16,100 New Jobs Estimated for January 2013, Unemployment holds steady at 6.7%

BOSTON MA - March 7, 2013 – Revised benchmark numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released today show that Massachusetts created 92,800 jobs in 2011 and 2012, 32,100 more jobs than previously estimated. Revisions to the statewide unemployment rate also show very little month-to-month change for 2012.

Every year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases year-end revisions to its previous estimates for job growth and unemployment. While initial estimates of job growth are based on surveys of representative samples, the benchmark revisions are based on actual data collected from employers in the Commonwealth through September 2012. Revised jobs numbers for the last quarter of 2012 are still based on projections.

"We still have work to do to make sure everyone in Massachusetts who wants a job can find one and that companies who want to hire can find the employees they need but these new jobs number based on actual data make me more confident than ever that our investments in innovation, infrastructure and education are helping the Commonwealth recover faster and stronger," said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Joanne F. Goldstein. "These jobs estimates show a steady job recovery and more continuous job growth compared to previously published estimates for 2011 and 2012."

The revised unemployment numbers, drawn from newly revised data, show that the unemployment rate for every month of 2012 was between 6.6% and 6.8% and there was very little change from month-to-month.

In January 2013, the Massachusetts unemployment rate was 6.7%. According to the BLS, 19,300 private sector jobs were created while government jobs declined by 3,200. Thus, the Commonwealth added 16,100 jobs in the first month of 2013.

2011-2012 Benchmark Job Growth Revisions by Sector

Education and Health Services: Previous estimates showed jobs in Education and Health Services increased by 300 in 2011 followed by a gain of 7,300 jobs in 2012. Revised estimates show Education and Health Services gained 13,800 jobs in 2011followed by a gain of 13,900 jobs in 2012.

Construction: Previous estimates showed jobs in Construction decreased by 2,000 in 2011 followed by a gain of 300 jobs in 2012. Revised estimates show Construction added 5,400 jobs in 2011 followed by a gain of 2,400 jobs in 2012.

Leisure and Hospitality: Previous estimates show jobs in Leisure and Hospitality decreased by 2,200 in 2011 followed by a gain of 6,300 jobs in 2012. Revised estimates show Leisure and Hospitality gained 7,200 jobs in 2011 followed by a gain of 10,700 jobs in 2012.

Manufacturing: Previous estimates showed jobs in manufacturing increased by 2,300 in 2011 followed by a decrease of 1,100 jobs in 2012. Revised estimates show Manufacturing lost 1,100 jobs in 2011 followed by a loss of 2,500 jobs in 2012.

Government: Previous estimates showed Government jobs declined by 6,000 in2011 followed by a gain of 900 jobs in 2012. Revised estimates show government lost 3,600 jobsin 2011followed by a gain of 6,200 jobs in 2012.

Professional, Scientific and Business Services: Previous estimates indicated this sector added 9,900 jobs in 2011 and another 22,800 jobs gained in 2012. Revised estimates show 16,200 jobs added in 2011 and another 9,300 jobs gained in 2012.

January 2013 Employment Overview

Professional, Scientific, and Business Services added 5,100 (+1%) jobs over the month. Over the year, Professional, Scientific, and Business Services added 15,100 (+3.1%) jobs with gains across all components.

Manufacturing gained 2,100 jobs (+0.8%) over the month. Over the year, Manufacturing lost 1,500 (-0.6%) jobs.

Mining and Logging gained no (0.0%) jobs. Over the year, Mining and Logging lost 200 (-18.2%) jobs.

Government lost 3,200 (-0.7%) jobs over the month. Local Government lost 1,400 (-0.5%) jobs, State Government lost 1,600 jobs (-1.3%) and Federal Government lost 200 (-0.4%) jobs. Over the year, Government gained 3,000 (+0.7%) jobs.

Labor Force Overview

The January 2013 estimates show 3,251,000 Massachusetts residents were employed and 232,900 were unemployed, for a total labor force of 3,483,900. The January labor force increased by 2,100 from 3,481,800 in December, as 2,800 more residents were employed and 600 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. The labor force was 7,400 above last year's level, with 9,400 more residents employed and 2,000 fewer residents unemployed.

The unemployment rate is based on a monthly sample of households. The job estimates are derived from a monthly sample survey of employers.As a result, the two statistics may exhibit different monthly trends.

Local area unemployment statistics for January 2013 will be released on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. The preliminary February 2013 and revised January 2013 unemployment rate, labor force data and jobs estimates for Massachusetts will be released on Thursday, March 21, 2013. See Media Advisory for a complete list of release dates.